Key takeaways:

• This year’s theme “Ascending New Heights in Unity” called for everyone to come together and progress hand-in-hand towards new beginnings and greater heights. SPD’s OTs organised games and activities that challenge the motor and cognitive skills of the participant.
• The games also help to give some enlightenment on how OTs carry out interventions and at the same time provide some awareness on some of the assistive devices used.

Held from 8 Jan to 12 Jan 2018, this year’s week-long Occupational Therapy Day celebrations at SPD moved from place to place, ensuring that all of SPD’s locations got a taste of the fun!

Every year during Occupational Therapy Day, SPD’s occupational therapists (OT) work hard to come up with fresh ideas to allow participants to understand more about the difficulties faced by clients going for occupational therapy, and to give everyone a glimpse into what OTs do day in and day out.

This year’s theme “Ascending New Heights in Unity” called for everyone to come together and progress hand-in-hand towards new beginnings and greater heights. SPD’s OTs organised games and activities that challenge the motor and cognitive skills of the participant.

The memory game where participants have to recall as many pairs of adaptive devices as they can

There were five games set up, which included a memory game where participants were given one minute to identify and recall as many pairs of adaptive devices presented on picture cards as possible. The objective of the game was for participants to learn about the various adaptive devices OTs use during intervention.

In another activity, “Drop the Balloon”, participants had to select either the racquet or stick and a simulated physical disability which included either the use of only one eye or the use of only one arm. They would then have to maneuver their way through a short course, simultaneously balancing a balloon on their chosen equipment and dropping the balloon into a basket.

Another game which requires participants to balance the balloon on a racquet and transporting it to the basket

Occupational therapy is the use of assessment and intervention to develop, recover and maintain the meaningful activities, or occupations, of individuals, groups or communities. OTs help to develop or maintain a person’s capacity through life, to perform day-to-day tasks and roles essential to a productive life, which include daily living, self-care, work and leisure. Their work involves enhancing physical and psychological functions, preventing illnesses, facilitating independent living, improving quality of life of people with disabilities or special needs and also to promote reintegration into society.

Mr Abhimanyau Pal, executive director of SPD, had a go at one of the games set up

The team of occupational therapists who made it all possible

“The games target the different components that OTs typically work with, either physical or cognitive. They also help to give some enlightenment on how OTs carry out interventions and at the same time provide some awareness on some of the assistive devices used or prescribed,” said Sharifah Rawiah Binte Matnor, an occupational therapist.

We take this opportunity to appreciate all OTs for all the wonderful work they do to help the clients towards a better future.